Muncaster Castle was my third destination on my final day exploring the Lake District. I’ve previously written about my visit to the Ravenglass & Eskdale railway which you can read here. I will be writing about going through the Hardknott Pass in an upcoming issue of the Anglotopia Magazine. By the time I arrived at Muncaster Castle, I was, to say the least exhausted. But it was my final day of traveling and seeing a castle was the perfect way to end my trip.
I visited this castle knowing absolutely nothing about it, having only heard about it during my time in the Lake District when I was looking for something to do.
Muncaster Castle is situated on the very western edge of the Lake District. It’s in a very strategic place, up a rise that has an all-around view of the Esk Valley and the sea beyond. There is evidence of Roman settlement; even the Romans thought this was an important spot – Hardknott Roman Fort is just a few miles away.
The castle is owned by the Pennington family. In fact, it has always been owned by the Pennington family. They have recorded evidence of this historic house being their home since 1208 when lands around it were granted to Alan de Penitone. As with all things that old, the date is flexible. There are some records that go back even further suggesting that the family have been here since at least 1026.
The current generation of the family run the property as a charity and open it up to visitors. Unlike a National Trust or English Heritage property, it’s very much a private home still (the website says they live in the servant’s quarters nowadays). It definitely feels a lot more authentic and lived in than one of Britain’s ‘GREAT’ stately homes. I quite like this.
The castle was built in the late 13th century and enlarged in the 14th. Like all old castles like this, it has been added on and modified for its entire history. Its current form was finalized in the Victorian era by the fifth Baronet of Muncaster. It started to resemble more of a stately home than a proper castle (most of Britain’s ‘castles’ ended up as faux castles or stately homes eventually – that or ruins).
I parked in the car park, which was across the street from the entrance. It was a weekday in July, and I was surprised to be one of the few cars in the car park. I crossed the busy street (actually the main road through this part of the Lake District) and made my way to the ticket office. A modern construction, there was a kindly older lady selling tickets and helpfully handing out maps.
My heart dropped a little bit when she told me that the castle was actually half a mile from where I was standing. I’d had a very long day already, and my feet were not happy about this. But still, castles are always worth it, aren’t they? Besides, walks will not kill me. In fact, walking often will keep me alive longer. So, I soldiered on.
I walked my way on a nicely finished path, through woodland with ancient trees. It was somewhat magical, and despite the heat, I was quite enjoying my late afternoon stroll to a castle.
I came around a bend, and there it was, Muncaster Castle. It was indeed impressive, and I have seen a lot of castles in my day. The architectural style is a mixture of old medieval castle and Victorian faux-castle architecture. It gels together quite well. Built in a warm reddish stone of the nearby hills, it creates a pleasing look to the eye. I hadn’t even been inside and I already quite liked the place.
I followed the path along the side and then came around to the front where the visitor’s entrance was. Only I didn’t go right in. There were a series of benches on the front, and you could clearly see why there were benches there – the view back up the Esk valley was simply incredible. Perched on its promontory, you can see why they built a castle here. Perfect for defense and keeping an eye on things, now it was perfect for creating beautiful views. I felt very lucky to be standing there.
You could see the Esk River, winding its way through the valley, along with the roads snaking their way through challenging geography. Off in the distance were the western Cumbrian fells, including Scafell Pike, the tallest mountain in England. It was a gloriously clear day with beautiful blue skies. The world was mostly silent, and you could clearly hear your own thoughts. There really isn’t much more perfect than this.
I walked around the castle and took plenty of pictures. Always good to have as many pictures of Britain’s famous castles as possible, you never know when you’re going to need them (and not just for this article). When I finally went into the house, I was warmly greeted by the attendant.
“Hello,” she said! “I saw you taking pictures outside! What a lovely camera.”
It was at that point I learned the one thing I dread most of all visiting Britain’s stately homes; in this one, I would not be allowed to take pictures. They were very friendly about it, and I had to turn over my backpack and camera while I had a wander around. The attendant was very helpful in directing me in where to go.
The rooms are set out on a self-guided tour path. I took the option of listening to the recorded tour on a handset. It was pretty easy to follow, and you simply entered the room number of whatever room you were in. There was usually two narration’s, the official history of the room and its contents, and then another of a member of the family giving a more personal context of the space. It was all very interesting. Sadly, I don’t really remember much from it as I couldn’t take notes and it was almost a year ago now. I am currently admonishing Past-Jonathan for not taking better notes when he left the castle.
Gratefully, the family has provided me with some stunning photos of the interiors that they have given me permission to use with this article. Each room was marvelously appointed with centuries of family artifacts. But it was kept in a tasteful manner as not to be overwhelmed. The place had the most remarkable smell; I love the way these old places smell.
My favorite room was the library. When I entered the castle’s beautiful octagonal Victorian era library, I was in complete awe and then suddenly shocked to see a person sitting at a stately desk pouring over some ancient text.
Had I just stumbled upon the Lord of the manor studying in his library? I suddenly felt like I was invading this quiet, cloistered place. I was the only other person in there, and I felt like I was intruding on the Lord of the Manor studying in his library.
But I’d paid to get in! Surely, he wouldn’t mind.
So, I wandered around the room and admired all the books. It was really a library dream. An incredible space. One of the most beautiful libraries I have ever seen. That’s not even mentioning the view from the massive single pane windows across the valley out of one side and the sea on the other side.
As I got closer to the big desk, I was relieved to see that there was a volunteer badge on the gentleman at the desk, and I suddenly felt at ease admiring this space.
My tour of the rooms did not take much longer, and before I knew it, I was back outside. I wandered around the grounds, walking the footpaths around the castle. Muncaster is famous for its Hawk & Owl Centre, which cares for the special birds. They have regular falconry shows, but I was there at a time when there wasn’t one on (though I did see a chap practicing with a Falcon off in the distance). The aviary was very cool; they had many impressive birds on display. Though, most of them were having an afternoon nap during my visit (and the cries of a young baby owl, seemingly searching for its lost mother were rather distressing). The centre does important conservation work for owls and hawks, so I really like seeing places like this and giving the public access like this is wonderful. I shall have to return when there is a show on. I’d recently read H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald – one of the finest books I’ve ever read – so it was interesting to see real hawks in the flesh, as I don’t see many around here in rural Indiana where I live.
One thing I loved about Muncaster was it’s absolutely remoteness. It’s very far away from everything. Driving here to this far end of the Lake District, from anywhere will take several hours (it took me two hours to get back to my hotel later!). A train ride will take several hours. You can’t fly here. Even if you’re already in the Lake District, it takes some effort to get here. I loved its romantic isolation. It was quiet. The only occasional sound was a car passing through the Esk valley. I was suddenly very envious of the family that gets to call this special place home.
There was more to see and do at Muncaster – including a church on the grounds and miles of footpaths. But my feet had had enough, and they were already screaming about the walk back to the car park. So, I bid farewell and headed back to my car. I quite liked Muncaster Castle and would very much like to go back. I think staying at the B&B on site would be peaceful and lovely.
I drove back to my hotel near Penrith, enjoying the late afternoon golden sunshine as I drove along the coast and peninsulas of the southwestern Lake District. It was the perfect way to end my visit to the Lake District. I can’t wait to go back.
Visiting Information:
Strangely, this castle is closed on Saturday (probably for that ever important Wedding trade), but it’s open Sunday through Friday in the summer. The opening season is usually March to November, but it’s open on the weekends in the winter, and they have special openings during the offseason. As always, check the website for opening times and current admission prices. I paid £15 as a single adult to get in (about $20), and that was perfectly reasonable for everything that’s on offer. You can also buy a combined ticket for the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway to see some money (they recommend doing the train in the morning and then coming to the castle for the 2 pm Falconry show). As expected with places like this, there is a tea room and gift shop. To get there – you can take the mainline British railway to Ravenglass and walk if you wanted. It’s not far. But the easiest way to get here is probably to drive. As I said, though, it’s far from everything, so enjoy the drive – Cumbria is a beautiful place to enjoy a driving day out.